I would buy the Jajuar II's form www.audioc.com. I haven't heard but I think its a very promising speaker for your price range. The factory direct kit is $700 and you could have a carpentar make some nice cabinets for the $500. I own Biro L/1's at $1500+ a pair. For an integrated amp under a grand I would find an acurus DIA150 or one of thier earlier integrateds (125?). You can find them used for as little as $500 (there was actually one on todays postings). Those products all represent practical engineering without any glitz or glamour in my opinion.
putting together a budget system
I'm looking for advice about putting together a system in which the speakers cost about $1200 and the amp system $800-$1200. i'm hesistant about getting a new cd player, with SACD or DVD on its way. for speakers, i'm considering either a pair of used vandy 2ce signatures or a pair of new B&W 604 series 2. for amps, i'm looking at Arcam's integrated 9, or possibly the Arcam pre-amp 9 and power amp 10. or maybe the NAD 317. for now i'll probably just hold on to my old NAD cd player. comments?